The focus of this tissue oriented conference is to answer pivotal questions regarding the higher incidence and characteristics of uterine leiomyomas in African American Women (AAW). The conference will feature scientific presentations that address the current state of knowledge and identify emerging issues regarding leiomyomas in the AAW and serve as a catalyst for discussion during the final session on "New Course for Future Research and Directions". Newer, promising and innovative research that will continue to build upon and enhance our understanding of the basic pathophysiology of uterine leiomyoma will be discussed. Innovations in treatment modalities with an emphasis on impact to the female reproductive tract, reproductive potential and quality of life will be presented. The target audience includes researchers working in the fields of biomedicine, epidemiology basic, clinical and translational science, therapeutics, academic medicine, government, industry;physicians, nurses, other healthcare workers and the lay community. All participants will be invited to present posters and special area will be assigned for poster presentation. The Conference proceedings will be edited by the editorial committee to prepare for publication in a peer reviewed journal and the entire contents will be posted on the Howard University Web Site. Accreditation Statement: The activity will be planned and implemented with essential areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the Howard University College of Medicine Credit Designation Statement. Howard University College of Medicine will designate this educational activity for a maximum of 8 credits AMA Category 1 Credits. Physicians will only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. . PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The overarching goals of this conference are to discuss multidisciplinary aspects of the molecular basis of leiomyomas and treatment modalities with an eye toward addressing the pivotal question of why leiomyomas are more common in the African- American population;and to formulate future projects to minimize symptoms associated with and improve the quality of life for patients with leiomyomata. A major objective of the conference will be to foster ongoing communication and collaborations among investigators within our immediate research community, extramural scientific community, community physicians, and the lay population. The primary emphasis of the conference will be dissemination of basic, clinical and translational research data.